By Jishu Bhattacharya

Copyright republicworld

India continued its domination in the world of chess. Grandmaster Rameshbabu Vaishali registered a historic win as she became the first Indian player to defend the FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss title.Vaishali was up against Women’s World Champion Tan Zhongyi, but she secured sole leadership of the tournament after holding the Chinese Grandmaster to a draw in the final round. The victory has also guaranteed Vaishali a spot in next year’s Candidates Tournament.Alongside Koneru Humpy and World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh, Rameshbabu Vaishali will now be the third representative for India in the women’s section of the Candidates Tournament. Koneru Humpy, Divya Deshmukh, and Rameshbabu Vaishali will all want to excel in the Candidates Tournament as it will determine the reigning world champion’s opponent.Vaishali, who scripted history in FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss, cemented her place in the galaxy of the bests after she held Tan Zhongyi to a hard-fought draw. Vaishali had won the tournament back in 2023. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took notice of Vaishali’s achievements and he congratulated her.ALSO READ | R Praggnanandhaa Beats D Gukesh in All-Indian Chess Showdown at The Sinquefield Cup Tournament”Outstanding accomplishment. Congrats to Vaishali Rameshbabu. Her passion and dedication are exemplary. Best wishes for her future endeavours,” wrote Prime Minister Modi on his X (formerly known as Twitter) account.Arjun Erigaisi, on the other hand, couldn’t secure a place for himself in the Candidates Tournament as his match against Vincent Keymer ended in a draw. R. Praggnanandhaa also acknowledged his sister Vaishali Rameshbabu’s historic victory and he shared a heartfelt post. “So proud of you, akka! Winning the FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss is such an incredible achievement. The confidence and determination you’ve shown throughout the tournament has been truly inspiring,” wrote the Indian Grandmaster.ALSO READ | Chennai Grand Masters Event Rescheduled To August 7 Due To Fire Accident In Tournament Venue, Players SafeKateryna Lagno, the Russian Grandmaster, finished with eight points as she played out a draw with Azerbaijan’s Ulviyya Fataliyeva, but managed to secure a qualification for the Candidates spot. German Grandmaster Matthias Bluebaum and Anish Giri also grabbed the two Candidates spots that were on offer.